03/17/2021
Today's Word 4 Wednesday is Joy. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and one of the attributes of God!
Notice King David's approach to joyful worship:
"David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy." 1 Chronicles 15:16, ESV
Did you notice they were to "raise up" their voices along with the music to be heard joyfully?
"And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod." 2 Samuel 6:14, ESV.
This brings a different meaning to loving the Lord with "all your strength"!
"...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2, ESV.
Jesus was able to endure the humility and torcher of death on the cross because of the future joy of being together with those who would accept His death by faith "at the right hand of the throne of God."
The Scriptures reference joy, joyful, joyous etc some 200 times.
God wants to give us joy - as a part of perfecting our character, and as an attribute of the gift of the Spirit. He even wants to exchange our sorrows and mourning for joy and gladness!
"...I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow." Jeremiah 31:13, last part, ESV.
Perhaps we need to rethink, and meditate upon what true reverence and worship really are?
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash